REVIEW: Haunting Gay Coming-Of-Age Drama In ‘Jamie Marks Is Dead’

Though it markets itself as something of a horror film, ‘Jamie Marks Is Dead’ is far more a coming-of-age drama with a dark, haunting sensibility that likens it to the similarly understated Chloe Grace Moretz vampire-themed sleeper ‘Let Me In’.

Understandably bypassing cinemas in favour of finding an appreciative audience over time on the home viewing market, the film tells of titular loner Jamie Marks (Noah Silver) whose body is found by the river of a small wintry town. Given Jamie’s near-invisibility when he was alive, it’s rather ironic the interest placed upon him once he’s dead as his ghost starts to interact with the young man who discovered his body – Adam (Cameron Monaghan).

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Handling a potentially awkward story set-up of the living and the dead not only interacting but building a romantic relationship with skill and precision, writer/director Carter Smith respectfully executes the unlikely love story between Jamie and Adam, and it’s through this aspect the film maintains a certain sense of tension.

Though it blends several genres together, ‘Jamie Marks Is Dead’ never feels like it’s trying to be bigger than it is. It moves at its own pace, perhaps a bit too slowly for restless audiences, but overall it’s a supremely well-crafted drama that deserves to find a devoted fanbase.